Salik Uzer

Salik Uzer is the son of Akhun, and Emete Uzer making him a member of and the long time lord and patriarch of House Uzer. Salik Uzer has six children in the form of Salik, Akhun, Tarkan, Ehli, Cetin, and Oya of which Salik was a prominent battle commander in the Theme of Anatolia where he fought and died during the Turkish Rebellion, while Akhun was a battle commander in the theme of Anatolia where he fought and died during the Turkish Rebellion, while Akhun was the Sakellarios or head of diplomacy for the Theme of Anatolia and it was in this position where he would be murdered while attempting to bring justice to Justinian Maniakes during the Turkish rebellion, while Tarkan would be a battle commander for the theme of Anatolia where he while Ehli would survive the Turkish Rebellion due to the intervention of Antonio Constantine and fled Byzantine for the Nehekhara Empire where she currently leads the Turkish Dutchy of Dihistan, while Cetin was a young girl of whom was raped and killed by Phillipicus Constantine during the Battle of Adana, while Oya was a young girl of whom was murdered by Phillipicus Constantine during the Battle of Adana.

Salik Uzer would become a major target of the Turks during the Thraceian Civil War as he refused to side with the Turks out of loyalty to Julian Constantine and this continued even after the involvement of two other themes to the side of the Ostrogoths, and by the time he did decide to join the Turks they had been soundly defeated leaving him quite unpopular among the Turkish people of Byzantine. Salik Uzer alongside his sons Akhun, and Salik would besiege the Italian city of Polybotos where the Sons of Constantine loyalist count Pegarius Maniakes's son Justinian Maniakes had massacred several turkish villages and after doux Salik had sent his son Akhun to arrest Justinian he would be killed and arriving with the army of Anatolia Salik placed the city under siege. Salik Uzer would be executed alongside his son Tarkan and dozens of prominent Turkish nobles and commanders following the disastrous Turkish defeat at the Battle of Polybotos, and following his execution Salik would become the new head of House Uzer and led the broken turkish forces back to Adana.

Contents

History

Early History

Thraceian Civil War

Salik Uzer would become a major target of the Turks during the Thraceian Civil War as he refused to side with the Turks out of loyalty to Julian Constantine and this continued even after the involvement of two other themes to the side of the Ostrogoths, and by the time he did decide to join the Turks they had been soundly defeated leaving him quite unpopular among the Turkish people of Byzantine.

Turkish Night of Tears

The Turkish Night of TearsYou Children of Constantine are not freedom fighters. Your just monsters. Uneducated Monsters.

“She was the cause of all this. She poisoned his mind. Turned him into a monster.”

— Theodora Constantine

One of the moments that the Sons of Constantine had been waiting for in order to move forward on their plans was the departure of several prominent Generals in Constantinople of whom were very loyal to the Emperor, but through manipulation they were sent alongside Mella Constantine when she traveled to Greece on official business. It would be Antonio Constantine IV. who would travel through the Palace Grounds of House Constantine accompanied by his friends Theodosius Leonid,and Phocus Justinian of whom together with several knights of the Sons of Constantine arrive in the Gardens north of the Palace where they meet with David Bagrationi the Georgian King of whom has come to assist in the Turkish Night of Tears. Joining up with the rest of the Sons of Constantine command structure they begin lighting fires at the peaks of prominent buildings including the Hagia Sophia where the Orthodox Priests there side with the Sons of Constantine for the massacre to follow. Personally leading the Georgian troops alongside his friend David they go to the estate of House Saglik a prominent Turkish household he joins his forces in going house to house at the estate anihilating the noble family. As he leads the Sons of Constantine in a city wide attack on the Turks leading to the Night of Turkish Tears the killing continues throughout the night with only the screams and brutality of it alerting the non-Sons of Constantine Guards of whom alert the Emperor of Byzantine in the form of Julian Constantine III. of whom intervenes stopping the massacre from being complete. Tony is brought before his father and the entire Court of Constantinople where he is forced to anwser for his actions, but instead of apologizing or make excuses for what happened he plays to the crowd and gains influence amongst the court by continueing to argue for the killing of the Turks. When several Turks of the court (most noteably Akkin Ilhan of whom would yell out at Tony causing Tony's father to end the meeting.) would react angrily to this the fighting in the court begin eventually leading to the end of the meeting and Tony becoming the most popular member of the Italian Nationalist movement in Constantinople.

Following the confrontation in the palace grounds it was Julian Constantine that would make the decision to turn against his son Antonio believing that now Antonio was no longer fit to rule in his stead and he would make the unfortunate mistake of making this decision known to his wife Mella Constantine of whom supported him but was accompanied by several handmaidens of which most critically Natashia Constantine was among. With Julian, and Mella unaware of the relationship between Antonio and Natashia they were unaware of the consequences and fearing for her lover Antonio Natashia would poison the cup of Julian which led to him becoming very sick and unable to call for the arrest of Antonio as he had been planning. Julian would find himself on his deathbed nearly dying from this poison but through the work of the High Priest of Constantinople he would survive the poison but was left near comatose at his bedside where he was cared to by Mella and her handmaidens including Natashia. With Julian lying in this near comatose state the violence of the massacre of the Sons of Constantine were left to fester with no reprisals or punishment and this led to many violent street riots between Ostrogothic citizens, and Turkish Citizens of which the army of Constantinople stayed out of allowing the near two days of lawlessness in the streets before on the third day the return of Antonio to the palace would push things into an entirely new direction.

Conversation Incoming

I cannot believe it has come to this. When I was a child the Roman Empire stretched from Hispania in the west, to parts of Francia in the north, to Africanas in the south, and pieces of Greece in the east. First Africanas had fallen, and we looked around and thought to ourselves that we still stood triumphent. What was Africanas. A land of savages we thought. I must admit that even in my own heart I thought that. Thousands upon thousands had fallen but it was so far from our home that what real danger could the Orcs pose to us here in Rome. It wasn't until Hispania fell that I actually think we saw what was happening to the Empire. When Hispania fell I think you noble Senators felt it in your pockets as well. The gold wasn't flowing as it once had to your endless pockets. But still you stood. Still you did nothing. How has it come to this that we now stand fighting for our lives in Italia itself. We have allowed ourselves to become corrupted by greed, and hatred of things, and in this failure we have let the monsters through the door. We have allowed those creatures of the night that once would not have dared to come to Rome to come right inside. Here we stand. Rome itself is burning. The entire empire is bleeding. This is where our failure has brought us.

"Prince Constantine the fourth you are brought here today to anwser for the crimes of the previous night."

"Perhaps you should enlighten me to the crimes of which you speak. I had a very busy day."

"You stand accused of leading the killings of hundreds of innocent citizens and the targeted assasinations of several prominent noblemen, and their families."

"If you are speaking of those filth, then I do not accept your calling of them citizens."

"Son this is

"What do you want me to say father?" He continued to stare at me without any real emotion. "Do you want me to tell you and the Council that I am sorry?"

"I want you to explain why you would do this."

"I did this father because these men." I pointed at Akkin Ilhan of whom Natashia had told me all the disgusting things he had done to the children of this city. "People like this man do not deserve to live in Byzantine." There was a gasp as I spoke the words from many of the Councillors, but also rising from the low whisper before came the cries of agreement from many in the chambers.

"Lord Ilhan is an honored and trusted member of the Senate here. You have no reason to question him in these halls."

"Everyone in this room knows the truth of the monster that the Ilhan's are." I looked away from my father speaking to the assembled senators. "My father wants you to continue playing the role of the idiot. He wants you to ignore the truth we all know about this man."

With the sickness of the emperor several prominent members of the Byzantine Empire would be recalled back to the capital with Julian having his son Phillipicus Constantine III. recalled to the capital and he planned to name him the new heir of the empire, while he also recalled his brother Damian Constantine of whom he had always appreciated the advise of and realizing the situation he was in he knew his brothers advise would be very important. While this was happening it was Antonio that spent time with the brothers of his lover Natashia and the three of them alongside David Bagrationi would join the rioting and during this Antonio would witness the violence of Natashia's brothers when they raped the daughters of a Turkish family, and this would be a shocking moment for Antonio of whom could not stand the violence against women.

Killing of Toygar Ilhan

“I remember the quiet boy who used to show his sister how to sail. How did you fall so far brother?”

— Theodora Constantine

It was days following the confrontation at the Imperial Senate when Antonio finally returned to the Imperial Palace and upon his arrival he found his father was extremely sick, but refusing to see him despite his mother pleading with Antonio to see his father, and thus ignoring his father he was confronted by his two sisters Nella Constantine, and Theodora Constantine of whom verbally attacked him for his racism. During this argument his sister Theodora would reveal to her brother that she was romantic with Toygar Ilhan of which led to him storming out of the Palace Grounds and then accompanied by several Palace Guards, and several of his close friends he went to the Turkish Market where he would find Toygar Ilhan working one of his fathers stores. Confronting Toygar on this there was little conversation as once Toygar admitted to the relationship it would be Antonio of whom would kill Toygar decapitating him in front of his mother and then leaving him dead in the street, and this caused fighting at the market which led to the deaths of nearly a dozen people in the market as they were cut down by the Palace Guard trying to protect the heir. Fighting there way out killed well over a dozen more but they got out of the Turkish market where fighting then broke out between the Turkish people following Antonio and Ostrogothic citizens who begin fighting in the streets. The fighting would burn down much of the western section of the Turkish Market and killed hundreds by its end, with the army of Constantinople forced to move in and seperate the two rioting factions.

“Do you wait for me to say I am sorry father. I shall not apologize. I am going to cleanse this city of the mistakes your reign has allowed to grow within it.”

— Antonio Constantine IV.

The rioting went on for three days with even the Constantinople army unable to stop it from spreading, and during this time the now increasingly popular Sons of Constantine were responsible for nearly a thousand more deaths just on their own with the rioting killing twice that number of citizens with Turks bearing the supreme brunt of these deaths.

Conversation Incoming

I cannot believe it has come to this. When I was a child the Roman Empire stretched from Hispania in the west, to parts of Francia in the north, to Africanas in the south, and pieces of Greece in the east. First Africanas had fallen, and we looked around and thought to ourselves that we still stood triumphent. What was Africanas. A land of savages we thought. I must admit that even in my own heart I thought that. Thousands upon thousands had fallen but it was so far from our home that what real danger could the Orcs pose to us here in Rome. It wasn't until Hispania fell that I actually think we saw what was happening to the Empire. When Hispania fell I think you noble Senators felt it in your pockets as well. The gold wasn't flowing as it once had to your endless pockets. But still you stood. Still you did nothing. How has it come to this that we now stand fighting for our lives in Italia itself. We have allowed ourselves to become corrupted by greed, and hatred of things, and in this failure we have let the monsters through the door. We have allowed those creatures of the night that once would not have dared to come to Rome to come right inside. Here we stand. Rome itself is burning. The entire empire is bleeding. This is where our failure has brought us.

"Stop being a fucking idiot Tony."

"I'm not being an idiot sister. All I am doing is finally be honest about these people."

"That witch has whispered into your ear lies brother. You are a good person Tony. You know all of this violence is for nothing. You don't want to do this."

"I remember the quiet boy who used to show his sister how to sail. How did you fall so far brother?"

"I woke up Theodora. I woke the fuck up." I stormed away from her no longer wanting to see the look of disappointment in their eyes. I could hear the crying of Nella as I stormed off, and I felt a tear run down my cheek. Were they right? Natashia had finally told me the truth and now that I knew this was the only answer. If father refused to see me then I would find my mother. My mother was the one person who I knew would tell me the truth of it. Was I the monster my sister's told me I was? Or was I the hero Natashia and everyone else told me I was becoming.

"You call yourself the children of Constantine. Your like to believe that somehow in all your violent rhetoric that you are freedom fighters. You Children of Constantine are not freedom fighters. Your just monsters. Uneducated Monsters."

"You speak words, but do you know what I hear from you?"

"What?"

"The last words of a dead man." No more words were needed, as I pulled the sword from my side and raised it up. For a moment I saw his eyes as he realized what was coming. There was a shock to him. Whatever he believed me capable of it surely wasn't this. As the sword struck his neck clean through his head flew aside hitting his father behind him causing a scream to go up from his mother, and sister. One of the Turkish guards went for his sword but I stabbed him through the chest before he could get it out of his scabbard, and he fell dead. As the other guards unsheathed their swords they were struck down by my own guards, and with their deaths the entire street was nothing but screaming.

As the fighting continued it would be Natashia's brothers Vitiges Ermanaric, and Mitiges Dermaric that would continue the works of their sister when they led their own personal force which they had been expanding for years through the assistance of their sister and they targeted Turkish politicians, and generals throughout the city in targeted assassinations leading to a serious loss of both Turkish intellectuals in the city but also Turkish military strategists in the city.

Marriage

“I do not agree with your decisions brother. I do not think the road you are going down leads anywhere but death. But. You trusted me when no one elce did. You believed in me when no one else did. I will follow you now. I will trust you now.”

— Nella Constantine

Antonio avoids the calls of his father to see him at the Palace as the hooks of Natashia have gone so far that the two are now planning a wedding and with the Byzantine Orthodox Church supportive of the Sons of Constantine the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church in the form of Photius Corelius I. would invite him to pray with him at the Saint Sophia and accepting this he went there with Natashia and the top tier of the Sons of Constantine providing them a safe place while the rioting died down in the streets. Before the wedding Antonio would attempt to involve his family and after his mother agreed to come to the wedding he would meet with his sister Nella of whom he had always been very close with, but he was quite conserned that she had been turned against him by his sister Theodora. Arriving at Nella's room he would find her staring out the window at the boats in the dock and taking her back to their childhood he was able to push through the recent events and bring Nella back to his side convincing her that everything he had done and planned to do was for the betterment of the people of Byzantine, and trusting the brother who had been her best friend for years she would also agree to go to the wedding and also agreed to support his brother in all things. Photius would bless the marriage of Natashia and Antonio despite the Emperor himself being the one who should bless the marriage, and thus with a blessing Natashia and Antonio were married in the Saint Sophia. Antonio following a blissful night with Natashia falls asleep knowing that things are going very well for him, but despite this a tears runs down his cheek as he thinks on all the violence, and also the distance between himself and his family.

Byzantine Turkish Rebellion

The Byzantine Turkish RebellionI am not sorry for what I have done. I may have failed to stop you but I die knowing I did everything I could to try and stop you. All those cowards who stayed silent will soon wish they had tried as hard.

“I told you they were traitors. My father lies dying and they have called their armies. What does that show you?”

— Antonio Constantine IV.

Philipicus would be recalled to the capital following the death of his father Julian and once there he would swear his loyalty to his brother and would join his brother in fighting the Byzantine Turkish Rebellion. Following the death of Julian Constantine and the rebellion of the Turks the situation was spiraling out control with the Turkish rebels having control of three themes and contesting two more leaving the forces of the Sons of Constantine backed into a corner and with the Turks besieging several cities throughout the empire Antonio's retribution had to be quick and decisive in order to stop the Turks from gaining victory. While the armies of Byzantine rallied it would be Natashia Constantine now standing as the Queen of the Byzantine Empire that would take control of one area of the conflict in the Aegean Islands when she would gain the permission of her husband to regain the Theme by whatever means she found neccessary. In order to do this Natashia Constantine would give rise to her two brothers when she had Antonio name them counts of two turkish held titles in the Aegean Dutchy and in this way Vitiges, and Mitiges rallied a large Ostrogoth force to their side and invaded the Aegean Islands destroying the two turkish counties and planning to create their own houses and counties from the ashes.

Fighting in Trebizond

“Go to Trebizond my brother. Go there and secure that theme for us. Secure it and then make all haste to Anatolia.”

— Antonio Constantine IV.

After having sworn his loyalty Phillipicus Constantine III. would be sent by his brother to parlay with the Theme of Trebizond where the leadership of the theme was leaning towards the support of the Sons of Constantine but was reluctant due to the overwhelming population of Turks within its borders. Arriving in the Trebizond capital of Trebizond he would meet with the Doux in the form of Amulius Komnenos II. and the two would spend hours talking with Phillipicus showing great skill in understanding what Amulius needed and thus offered himself up for marriage to Amulius's daughter, and also offered to lead a non Trebizond army into Trebizond and crush the Turkish population of the Doux. Agreeing to both Phillipicus would marry Duccia Constantine in a short ceremony and following having their bedding rights the two would spend a few hours together where Phillipicus promiced to keep her safe and always protect her and despite having only met hours earlier they would form a bond and when he left she would say that she would miss him. Following this wedding Phillipicus would rally a force of some four thousand provincial troops from Niccae, and nearly five thousand more volunteer troops from Trebizond and using these forces entered Trebizond and basically went from town to town, village to village massacring the Turkish population of whom initially put up little fight but resisted heavily in the county of Chaldia where the Turkish Metropolitan's Kazim Ogri, and Umur Sadik rallied their towns in defence.

Battle of Samsun

With Phillipicus having all but destroyed the Turkish population of Trebizond it fell to two areas in the form of the counties of Samsun, and Malatya to hold out as streams of Turks fled eastward into their counties and it was at the town of Samsun where the Turks would rally their forces and prepare for the arrival of Phillipicus.

Battle for Anatolia

“I wonder if you believe my father deserved to die that way? Did my father who had served his entire life loyally to your father deserve to be dishonored that way? You did things to him that mean he may never go to heaven. Did he deserve that?”

— Ehli Uzer

Following the collapse of the Turkish fronts in both the Aegean Islands, and Trebizond the main wave of Byzantine attack came against the Turks in Anatolia where they had placed the Sons of Constantine city of Polybotos under siege, and it was here where the major Battle of Polybotos would arise. Salik Uzer would be executed alongside his son Tarkan and dozens of prominent Turkish nobles and commanders following the disastrous Turkish defeat at the Battle of Polybotos, and following his execution Salik would become the new head of House Uzer and led the broken turkish forces back to Adana.

Battle of Adana

“With the fall of this city we paint our destiny in the stars. The Turkish traitors are no longer a threat to us. It is our time. It is the time of Byzantium now.”

— Antonio Constantine IV.

Ehli Uzer would be within the walls of Adana when the armies of Byzantine arrived following their victory during the Battle of Polybotos where the Turks under her father had been defeated nearly completely and she would support her brother as he led the defense of the city and refused to leave the city even as it became clear that her brother could not succeed at successfully defending the city. During the Byzantine Turkish Rebellion Phillipicus would lead a cohort of troops into the fighting and took part in the sack of Adana where he would rape Ehli Uzer and planned to kill her but was interrupted by his brother Antonio of whom kept Ehli safe feeling regret for what he had done.